The Oklahoma City Thunder bought themselves some breathing room this offseason, but the long-term bill is still coming due.
By moving on from Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe in separate trades, Oklahoma City managed to stay clear of the second apron and avoid a pile of luxury tax penalties, which was likely the real point. That reshuffling leaves Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and Jared McCain with bigger jobs as the Thunder try to climb back to the top in 2026-27.
Wallace and Mitchell are the two names set to battle for the starting backcourt spot vacated by Dort. Right now, Wallace looks like the favorite to start, with Mitchell projected as a high-impact sixth man who can also share the floor in partial tandem with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. McCain is expected to step into the wing minutes that Wiggins and Joe had been splitting, giving Oklahoma City a primary perimeter shooter on the outside.
There’s no question all three can matter in a big way for a contender. There’s also no question that all three are eligible for extensions from this offseason through next.
That’s where the Thunder’s uncomfortable reality starts to show. Even with McCain looking like a strong addition, Wallace and Mitchell appear to be the two players who should sit at the top of the financial priority list. That doesn’t automatically mean McCain is gone, but it does mean Oklahoma City has to start thinking about other long-term answers on the wing.
The trade for McCain has already looked like another Sam Presti win, even with the draft capital it cost to get him. He flashed immediate value as a playoff-level contributor, knocked down shots with confidence, and settled into the Thunder’s defensive system before the season was over.
The reason that deal is so appealing, though, is tied to his contract. McCain still has two seasons left on his rookie deal, and he’s set to make just over $11 million over that stretch. If his development keeps moving forward, he’s almost certain to outperform that number.
Still, when the Thunder zoom in on their rotation and their future cap sheet, Wallace and Mitchell seem to have the higher long-term upside. Wallace already stands out as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and if his offense keeps climbing, he could eventually do even more than Dort did in his Oklahoma City prime. Mitchell brings something different: ball-handling and downhill pressure that the rest of the Thunder backcourt, outside of Gilgeous-Alexander, doesn’t really provide.
That’s why both Wallace and Mitchell need to come first for the front office, even if each one lands somewhere around $25 million per year.
McCain, for his part, may end up closer to the $18-20 million range if he doesn’t make a major leap as a secondary playmaker and defender over the next couple of seasons. If Oklahoma City is willing to move off someone like Isaiah Hartenstein or Alex Caruso to make room for the first year of both Mitchell and McCain’s extensions, then there is a route to keeping all three young guards together.
But the central point remains the same: McCain does not outrank the Thunder’s two rising young stars. It isn’t an urgent problem yet, and that’s part of what makes the trade so valuable. Still, once McCain and Mitchell are eligible for extensions next offseason, Oklahoma City will have to deal with the issue head-on.
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